Cattle and Oil

Alberta is known for its cattle ranches and oilfields.  Some think of it as Canada's Texas, says Elyse Glickman, writing for the fashion magazine Lucire.  She spent a week in Calgary and came away with the realization that the city is packed with historical and cultural riches, boutique shopping, and especially, a dazzling food scene.  It's that food scene we're most interested in here.

She notes that Buzzards serves "cowboy grub;" judging by its website, it appears to be in the mold of Denver's Buckhorn Exchange (bison consomme, prairie oysters, candied salmon).  Focusing on more contemporary cuisine, she recommends Crave (a cupcake place), the Calgary Farmers' Market, River Café (photo above; Roadfood.com review), The Ranche (the menu includes caribou, elk, bison, wild salmon, Alberta beef and lamb), Olives, Brava Bistro, Avenue Diner, King and I, Tropica Malaysian & Thai, China Rose, and Wild Ginger.  She especially recommends a stop in one of the Bernard Callebaut shops: she describes the soft serve ice cream as "liquid velvet" and says the hot chocolate is "memorable."